by F. P. Spirit
Glo’s mouth fell open in astonishment. He stood there paying little heed as stones continued to fall around him. Abruptly, strong hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him against the lighthouse wall. The owner of those hands was pressed against the wall next to him, still grasping his good arm. It was Ves!
“Stick to the wall!” she hissed.
Glo’s senses suddenly returned to him and he nodded his understanding. Ves let go of his arm and motioned for him to follow, then slid along the wall toward the back of the room. Glo trailed close behind.
Across the room, Lloyd had reached one of the doors at the back of the lighthouse. Still cradling Maya in his arms, he placed his shoulder against the door and pushed against it with his body. There was a cracking noise followed by the door swinging open. Lloyd and Maya then disappeared inside.
Glo suddenly remembered Aksel. A quick glance backward confirmed that his friend also hugged the wall. Aksel and Ruka slid along a few feet behind him. It didn’t take long for all of them to reach the open door.
Glo paused as the others ducked through the doorway. The rocks had stopped falling and everything had gone quiet. Glo closed his eyes and reached out with his mind, swiftly making contact with Raven. She flew around the island, enjoying the company of a flock of gulls. Glo directed her to fly past the top of the lighthouse. Perhaps she could get a look at who, or what, was throwing rocks down on them from up there.
Glo opened his eyes and peered into the open doorway. It was dark beyond the entrance, the only light coming through the open door. He lifted his arm to light his staff. That was a mistake. Pain shot up his shoulder. Glo grimaced but continued on, finally managing to get the staff lit. He blinked briefly as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. They were in a small room, surrounded by boxes and crates piled up to the ceiling. Lloyd stood in the center of the room, still holding Maya in his arms. Ves and Ruka stood to one side with Aksel on the other.
When Maya saw Ves, she began to giggle hysterically. “Did you see it, Ves? He rescued me!”
Lloyd gently placed the young girl on her feet, a puzzled expression on his face. Maya proceeded to fall on the floor and have another fit of giggles and snorts.
“That was very gallant of you.” Ves told Lloyd, ignoring her little sister. Her demeanor had visibly softened, once again appearing to be the friendly young woman they had met on the beach.
“Yeah, it actually was,” Ruka added. From her tone, it was clear she had not expected such gallantry.
Lloyd turned a bright shade of scarlet. “It was nothing. Anyone would have done it.”
Ruka’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “Ha. Not from what I’ve seen. That was almost—heroic.” She stared intently at Lloyd, as if reevaluating her opinion of him.
Through all of this, Maya still rolled on the floor giggling uncontrollably. Glo could not fathom her reaction—unless she knew she was never in any real danger. That large stone should have crushed her shoulder. Even Lloyd would have had a hard time shrugging that off. Glo was thankful that Maya had not been hurt, but there was far more going on here than met the eye. He watched intently as Ves knelt down beside her sister. She grabbed the little girl by the arm and said, “Maya, compose yourself.”
Maya stopped rolling. She sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She tried, rather unsuccessfully, to suppress any further giggles.
“Now let me see your wound,” Ves said emphasizing the last word. She proceeded to examine the little girl’s shoulder. From what Glo could see it looked completely fine. He cast a glance at Aksel. The gnome almost imperceptibly shook his head. Glo arched an eyebrow. If Maya was fine, then what was Ves playing at here?
Ves held out her index finger over her sister’s shoulder. A brilliant blue light appeared at her fingertip. It quickly grew and covered the little girl’s shoulder. Glo’s eyes flickered toward Aksel again. This time the little cleric nodded. Well aside from her other talents, Ves was also a healer. Was there anything these girls could not do?
After a few seconds, the blue light disappeared. Ves drew back her finger and spoke to her sister in an overly loud tone. “How is it now?”
“Oh, it’s just fine,” Maya replied overdramatically. The little girl tried unsuccessfully to hide a grin.
“Very good,” Ves nodded. She stood up and fixed her gaze on Lloyd. She spoke to him in an authoritative tone, quite obviously used to ordering others around. “Now let me see your back. I counted at least two stones that hit you squarely.”
Lloyd appeared uncertain. He glanced over at Aksel. The little cleric merely nodded his approval. Lloyd’s face reddened, but he complied. He unbuckled his sword belts, then unfastened his leather armor, pulling it over his head. Lloyd finished by removing his shirt, standing there naked from the waist up and looking rather uncomfortable. Glo could not fathom why Lloyd seemed so self-conscious—he was in excellent shape. His upper body practically rippled with muscles. He stood there looking like some kind of godling.
“Now turn around so I can see your back,” Ves directed him.
Lloyd slowly spun around. Sure enough, there were two large bruises on his back. They were already an ugly shade of black and blue. Ves stepped forward and reached out with her hand. As she touched his back, Lloyd involuntarily flinched.
“I don’t bite, you know,” she told him.
For some reason, Maya found that hysterical. The little girl began to giggle all over again. Ves gave her sister a sharp look. Maya placed both hands over her mouth and proceeded to snicker into them.
“Sorry,” Lloyd said, quite obviously embarrassed.
Ves continued to examine each wound. Finally, she withdrew her hand and held out her index finger. That same blue light appeared at its tip and spread over Lloyd’s back. She moved her finger over each bruise in turn, enveloping them both in the brilliant blue light. When she was done, the bruises were gone. Ves withdrew her finger and took a step backwards. Her voice was soft. “How’s that?”
Lloyd glanced over his shoulder. He rotated his arms around, twisting his torso back and forth and flexing his broad muscles. He finally stopped and turned to face Ves. A shy smile crossed his lips. “It’s just fine now. Thank you, Ves.”
The young woman smiled warmly back at him. Abruptly, she spun around to face Glo. She stared at him gravely, her arms going to her hips. “And as for you...”
Glo was startled. Did I do something wrong?
The room grew silent as she glared at him. Suddenly her hands fell from her sides and her expression softened. “Thank you, as well, for warning us—but next time don’t just stand there waiting to be hit.” Her eyes danced with amusement as she watched the bewildered elf.
A wry smile spread across Glo’s lips. “Sorry about that. Guess I caught up in the moment.”
The corners of Ves’s mouth upturned slightly. “It can happen to anyone. Now let me see that arm.” The last was said in that authoritative tone once again. She stepped forward and peered up at him expectantly.
Glo somehow knew better than to argue. He merely rolled up his sleeve, wincing in pain as the fabric passed his elbow. There was a huge lump where the stone had hit him just below the elbow joint. It was a nasty shade of black and blue. Ves reached out with both hands and grabbed him gently above and below the elbow. Her hands were surprisingly cool to the touch. She examined the bruise closely at first, then let go with her right hand. Still holding his forearm with her left, she lifted up her right index finger. The bright blue light appeared at the tip and quickly spread out to envelop his arm. It was a bit more intense this time, so bright that he could not stare at it directly. Thankfully, the pain in his arm began to abate. Ves held the blue light over his wound for quite a bit longer than she had for either Maya or Lloyd. Perhaps ten minutes went by. Finally, the intensity of the light faded and it disappeared altogether. When Glo examined his ar
m, the lump was completely gone along with any discoloration. It no longer hurt in the slightest.
Ves released her grip and stepped back. Her expression was apologetic. “Sorry that took so much longer. The bone had a slight fracture.”
Glo flexed and unflexed his arm. It felt as good as new. He rolled down his sleeve and looked at Ves with gratitude. “Thank you, Ves. That was a remarkable job of healing.”
“Yes, rather expert, I would say,” Aksel added.
Ves turned toward Aksel and curtsied quite gracefully. “Why, thank you, good cleric. I spent a few years studying in Lanfor at the Temple of Arenor.”
Aksel pursed his lips. “I must say that I am very impressed. You are quite skilled for someone who only spent a few years studying.”
Ves reddened slightly. Her eyes fell as she adjusted her dress, avoiding eye contact. Any further conversation was interrupted as a small black form flew into the room. It hovered above them a moment then landed on Glo’s shoulder.
“Manina de eller?” Glo asked. What is up there?
“Otso goblins,” Raven replied, “Er ure.”
“Seven goblins, one large,” Ves translated.
Glo nodded. “Indeed.”
Ves smiled demurely in response, all her former discomfort gone.
“One large,” Aksel repeated. “I wonder what that could be.” His hand went to his chin as he mulled over Raven’s words.
Glo thought back to the many books of monsters and races in his father’s library at home, but nothing immediately came to mind. “I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a large goblin. I don’t suppose you girls would know?”
Ves and Ruka exchanged glances. Once more, Glo got the impression of a silent conversation transpiring between them. It only lasted a few moments then Ves responded. “No. Not really.”
Aksel rubbed his chin for a few moments. “I guess there is only one way to find out.” He turned to Lloyd. “You up for some goblin carving?”
Lloyd’s eyes lit up at the thought of battle. “Sure.” He finished buckling his second sword belt in place. It neatly overlapped his first, making an “x” across his waist. Once he was done, he headed to the doorway and slipped out into the main room. The others followed close behind. Glo paused a moment in the doorway to extinguish his staff. There was no sense in giving the goblins a target to aim at. As he stood there, someone shoved past him. It was Ruka. She had pushed him aside without a word. Glo gazed silently after her retreating form.
What was that all about? Shaking his head, he followed behind her.
Crash and Burn
The angry red ball streaked toward its target at incredible speed
The stairs were a short distance away along the wall. They all gathered there at the base of the stairwell, well hidden from anyone or anything at the top. Lloyd ascended the stairs with Ruka right behind. Glo waited until they were a couple of steps up, then climbed up as well. Ves followed two steps behind him. Aksel and Maya brought up the rear.
About twenty steps up, Ruka hissed, “Stop!”
Everyone froze. Lloyd did not turn around. “What is it?” he whispered.
Ruka kept her voice low. “There’s a trip wire right in front of you—on the next step.”
Glo narrowed his eyes, squinting at the step above Lloyd. Sure enough, there was a thin wire stretched across the stairwell about three inches above the step. It was very hard to see in this dim light. Ruka must have excellent eyesight to have spotted it.
“Couldn’t I just step over it?” Lloyd whispered.
“Sure—right into the next trip wire on the step above it,” Ruka answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lloyd’s voice was filled with frustration. “Now what?”
Glo’s eyes moved from Ruka to Ves. “I don’t suppose either of you know how to disable traps?”
Ves shook her head. Ruka folded her arms across her chest. “What do I look like? A thief?”
Glo shrugged his shoulders. Ruka was a lot like Seth in temperament, but that was apparently where the similarities ended.
“Might as well head back down,” Aksel called up in a semi-hushed voice.
They regrouped at the bottom of the stairs. The only avenue they hadn’t tried was the door on the other side of the stairs. Lloyd went to check it out. Ruka followed him once again. The duo returned a short while later. They had found the kitchen, nothing more.
Silence fell over the group. Aksel’s hand went to his chin, his head tilting to the side. Lloyd grasped the handles of his swords, twisting his hands on them impatiently. Ruka leaned against the wall, folding her arms in front of her. Ves gave her middle sister a look that practically screamed, “I told you so.” Maya was the only one who did not appear pensive. She stared up at Glo expectantly, dimples dotting each side of her mouth. The corners of Glo’s lips turned up in response. Her apparent faith in him was startlingly justified. He had just learned a new spell that would help in this situation—two, in fact. It was not without some risk, but it might be their only alternative. Glo’s eyes swept around the group, but everyone remained silent. Shrugging his shoulders, he spoke up.
“I believe I might have an idea.”
All heads turned in his direction. Glo followed his statement with a single word. “Labes.”
There was no immediate effect from his viewpoint, but everyone else tilted their heads or squinted at him. Lloyd was the first to speak.
“You look kind of—blurry.”
Glo chuckled. “That’s the general idea.”
“It’s a spell of distortion,” Aksel explained. “It will make him harder to hit.”
“Hopefully,” Glo added. The spell would help but it was not foolproof. He would still be a target as soon as he stepped out into the open.
Aksel eyed him curiously. “So, what other new tricks do you have?”
All heads turned to him once more. Glo’s eyes swept around the group, momentarily halting on a particular pair of blue-green eyes. He suddenly felt rather warm. He also experienced a rather strange desire to show off. “Oh, I believe I have the perfect spell.”
Aksel raised an eyebrow but otherwise remained silent.
Without another word, Glo spun around and headed for the door. He was still wrestling with himself, uncertain as to why he was acting this way. Normally he would have explained himself to Aksel, but when he looked into Ves’s eyes, his mind suddenly clouded over.
“Wait!”
That had been Ves. Glo halted in mid-stride. He turned around just in time to see the young woman walking toward him. Glo stood there as if transfixed. As she closed the distance between them, Ves searched his eyes with her own. There was a strange intensity behind them, almost as if she were trying to read his thoughts. When she drew within arms’ reach, Ves stopped. Glo continued to stare at her, dumbfounded. The corners of her mouth upturned slightly, and then her arm came up and touched him lightly on the shoulder. From the point of contact, a shimmering white sheen spread out across his body. Her hand then fell away.
“Maybe that will help,” Ves almost whispered. She gazed up at him, her eyes no longer intent, but now mirroring real concern. She stood there a moment longer, then stepped back.
Glo lifted his arms and stared at the bright opaque sheen that now surrounded them. He looked over his shoulder and confirmed that it extended all around his body. He gazed back at Ves questioningly. “What is this?”
“A shield of the faith,” Aksel answered for her.
A shield of the faith? That was a divine spell. It created a magical shield around a person that deflected most solid objects. Glo was quite touched by the gesture. A smile spread across his lips. “Thank you, Ves.”
“You’re welcome,” she responded in a quiet voice.
He stood there a moment longer as mi
xed emotions played through his mind. He was nervous about what he was about to do, but that was now tempered with warm feelings for the enigmatic Ves. Abruptly, Glo spun around again. He marched forward with the words, “Here goes nothing.”
As he exited from under the stairs, stones began to hurtle down around him. Some came rather close, but somehow they all missed. When Glo reached the center of the room, he stopped, reached into a bag at his waist and pulled out a pinch of sulfur. His arms began to twirl around in a circular pattern. He made a wide arc with them then drew his hands together at his waist. Glo then peered up towards the top of the lighthouse. He was just in time to see a stone hurtling directly for him. With no time to dodge out of the way, Glo flinched. Mere inches from his face, the rock hit the shimmering field that surrounded his body. It appeared to hang there for a moment, then it neatly bounced off to the side.
Glo let out a heavy sigh. Thank you, Ves!
His momentary relief was swiftly replaced with anger. He glared up at the top of the tower, barely making out shapes moving at the top of the stairwell. Glo’s resolve hardened. He pushed his hands out in front of him, palms facing outward, toward the top of the lighthouse, and spoke a single word. “Augue.”
A small bright red ball of light appeared between his palms. It hung there for a split second, pulsing as the light intensified, then shot away toward the top of the tower. The angry red ball streaked toward its target at incredible speed. In less than a second, it traversed the distance to the top of the stairwell. As it neared its target, the ball suddenly expanded—it was now ten times its original size. It hung there for a fraction of a second longer, and then exploded. Bright red light flooded the top of the tower, accompanied by the whoosh of the expanding flames. High-pitched screams cascaded down from above—they were punctuated by a dreadful roar. It was a low, guttural sound that echoed off the inside walls of the stone tower.
“What was that?”
Glo’s eyes had been fixed on the scene above. Gazing around now, he saw that the others had joined him in the center of the tower. “I’m not sure...”
